Haans Petruschke’s love of Holden Arboretum started when he was a child and lasted a lifetime

Curious Mind Leaves a Lasting Legacy

Haans Petruschke’s love of Holden Arboretum started when he was a child and lasted a lifetime.

By Chris Keeney, Major Gifts Officer

Haans Petruschke had a curious mind that helped propel him as an engineer in his professional life and in his 50 years of service as a volunteer at the Holden Arboretum. Driven by his sharp intellect, Haans helped Holden

Arboretum with everything from VIP tours of Little Mountain to longitudinal surveys on bird breeding. The lifetime commitment to conservation and learning was cemented with Haans donating his entire estate to Holden Forests & Gardens upon his untimely death earlier in 2022.

Upon their arrival to Kirtland, the Petruschke family began hikes when Haans was a young boy, and the family has carried on the legacy of being inspired by the outdoors. Haans’s niece, DeAnn Sandel, recalls a bit about the family’s traditions at Holden Arboretum.

“I can remember starting our hike in my grandparents’ back yard that was a part of Chapin Forest,” says Sandel. “We would identify plants and trees and focus on what was native or invasive. It was so immersive that we could be out there for hours and only go a couple of miles. Even now, my sister and I laugh that it wasn’t the Girl Scouts that taught us this stuff — it was Haans and our family.”

Haans started to volunteer with Holden Arboretum as a 12-year-old following in his mother’s footsteps in giving back to the organization. While he started with tagging along on hikes with a first aid kit, Haans most recently worked in collaboration

Ways to Give

Stock Gifts

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Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCD)

Support HF&G with a Qualified Charitable Distribution from your IRA. If you are over 70 ½, you can satisfy your required minimum distribution while transforming our region into a vibrant place where plants and trees thrive. QCD distributions directed to charity are not considered taxable income.

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Looking for other ways to give?

Contact Chris Keeney at 216-707-2834 or ckeeney@holdenfg.org to find the best way for you to give.

with HF&G’s Mike Watson, conservation biologist, on a bird breeding survey and a project focused on the dark-eyed junco. Both projects center around tracking the migration patterns of birds in our natural areas. Watson thought Haans was uniquely qualified for these projects.

“Haans had a combination of skills that made him very valuable to this research,” says Watson. “His orienteering skills made him comfortable in our natural areas. As an engineer and with his background with statistics, he had a unique way of approaching things.”

The years spent on the Holden trails helped Haans to notice broader ecological trends and monitor the trail conditions across the natural areas. In Watson’s time working with Haans, one trait stands out. “The thing that always struck me was how curious he was,” Watson recalls. “He could be on the lookout for birds, and he is going to also try to identify and understand every other thing he saw along the way. He was broadly curious with a lot of diverse interests. It wasn’t limited to wildlife or birds.”

The wide range of interests centered around a thirst for knowledge was likely developed at his Kirtland home. Sandel recalls that all generations were encouraged to try many activities and explore interests until they found their niche. While others found their passion with dance, art or music, Haans was always drawn to both art and science.

“Our grandparents [Haans’s parents] instilled in all of us to not be lazy about the way you think,” Remembers Sandel. “We were taught to use our imagination and figure it out.”

That passion for figuring it out kept Haans connected to the Holden Arboretum for decades. He was driven to use his volunteering to help identify the everchanging patterns of our environment. Unfortunately, Haans passed away in May 2022. His ties to Holden Forests & Gardens are everlasting, as he made an estate gift to help cement his legacy as an ardent supporter of the organization.

“Haans once told me that he had difficulty verbally expressing love,” Sandel recalls. “I went back to him and told him that he didn’t need to express it verbally. Your actions have always said it. I don’t think he would have poured so much into Holden unless he truly loved it.”

Haans’s ultimate expression of love will help lead Watson and others at HF&G to see his projects to fruition. We all know that the curious mind of Haans will want the answers.

“I don’t think he would have poured so much into Holden unless he truly loved it.”

—DeAnn Sandel

MEET THE STAFF

Chris Keeney joined Holden Forests & Gardens in February as the Major Gifts Officer and is based at the Cleveland Botanical Garden. Prior to HF&G, Chris was the Director of Development at EDWINS Leadership & Restaurant Institute, and he has also worked at the United Way of Greater Cleveland and the Cleveland Metropolitan School District. Chris looks forward to building the culture of philanthropy at HF&G and meeting donors and members.